Norwegian Church Aid, Ethiopia

More than 700 million women world over were married before turning 18, and more than one in three of these were married before turning 15. Ethiopia is one of the countries where the prevalence of child marriage is high; as many as two in five girls marry before they turn 15.

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Child marriage has great consequences for the lives and health of girls and women. Norwegian Church Aid’s project Safe Spaces consists of a number of preventive measures targeting girls and women in the Gambella region. Girls are given counselling and information, and steps to improve their safety have been taken. The project is also aiming to improve general awareness in the local community of the problems connected with child marriage, working with everyone from families to public officials. The most disadvantaged families receive economic support.

The project receiving funding from the Kavli Trust is part of a bigger project that’s already operational, run by Norwegian Church Aid and the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus Development and Social Services Commission. This project also receives support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).